Review of The Last Exorcism (2010) by Jim G — 02 Jul 2011

âThe Last Exorcismâ? begins promisingly enoughâ"this mock documentary purports to chronicle the final exorcism performed by a charlatan minister who admits that his career as an exorcist has been a complete sham.

The film crew rides along with him as he journeys to the backwoods of Louisiana to âexorciseâ? a teenage girl whoâ(TM)s been victimized by demonic possession, which has led to the nightly slaughter of much of her familyâ(TM)s livestock.

Upon arrival, the exorcist finds a distraught father, a surly, skeptical brother, and Nellâ"the sweet, innocent possessed. After performing a staged exorcism (complete with a smoke-emitting crucifix and prerecorded demonic voices), the minister and his crew leave the farmâ"only to find themselves drawn back by a series of inexplicable and troubling events.

The mounting tension is handled deftlyâ"allegations of alcoholism, an unexpected pregnancy and insinuations of incest complicate the plot. The climax, however, devolves into a âBlair Witch Projectâ?/â?Rosemaryâ(TM)s Babyâ? hybrid cop-out, leaving this film with an ending that does not live up to the filmâ(TM)s well-done plotting.